LIVING SMALL: WHAT IT MEANS

Some of you may have heard the term "Living Small", or this might be a new concept that you are just now hearing about. But what does "Living Small" really mean? 

At it's most basic definition, "Living Small" means choosing to live in a smaller home, even though you can afford to live in a much larger one. It means choosing to buy or remain in a home that would normally be considered a "starter home" (by most peoples standards). It's making the most of smaller rooms and spaces, and utilizing lesser square footage, in the best way for you and your family. 

There are actually many benefits of living small! 

• A smaller home costs less to purchase.
• A smaller home costs less to heat and cool.
• A smaller home allows you to know where your children are at all times.
• A smaller home is much easier to clean and maintain.
• A smaller home is much faster to declutter and organize. 
• A smaller home forces you to only have what you actually need and use. 
• A smaller home forces families to remain in close proximity and reinforces bonding. 

We initially bought into the whole "work hard and upgrade to a larger/more expensive home" just like most other people do. We purchased our biggest, most expensive home and lived in it for a whole 8 months, before we realized it was not for us. We are minimalists at heart, and care much less about having things, and much more about saving for our children's futures.

Our larger home did not feel cozy and warm, like our smaller homes had, and we longed for that feeling once again. We sold our larger home, and moved our family of five (plus two dogs) into a  3 bedroom, 1 bath home, that is just under 1100 square feet! I personally love the challenge of making smaller spaces work, and even with a large family, it can be done!  

People often choose to "live small" because it puts extra money in their pockets, both in the interim and in the future. They prefer to save their money for the things that matter in life, versus where they sleep at night. Too many people tend to live beyond their means, and end up "house poor", and I would never want that for our family. One never knows when life will throw curveballs, such as an economic recession or a job loss. By owning a smaller, less expensive home, it allows people to be in a better position to manage such roadblocks. Living small allows us to focus on what matters most, each other! 

After all, it's not the size of the home that matters, it's the love inside of it! ❤